Princess, something terrible has happened! The prince consort has attempted suicide again!

The Marquis of Yongwu's residence, Lingyun Courtyard.

Zhang Xiaomeng leaned back in his recliner, basking in the warm sun, with a maidservant standing attentively beside him, attending to his every need; he was completely relaxed and at ease.

But he couldn't feel happy at all.

Since being confined to my home by Zhao Qiandong, I have been here for three whole days.

As his wedding to Zhao Changning drew ever closer, a heavy weight settled over him.

Having been in this world for so long, his only thought is to recklessly go back and unlock the billion-dollar prize.

Previously, Feng Yi had been taking care of him personally, and he had finally managed to wait until she was injured and transferred, thinking that he had finally found an opportunity.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Changning immediately sent Feng Er to keep watch.

Confined to the courtyard, unable to leave even a step, every move they made was monitored.

They had nowhere to go but to die, and nowhere to escape.

Are we really going to be trapped here, obediently marry the princess, and be a caged prince for the rest of our lives?

Just as Zhang Xiaomeng was having a headache, a series of light and hurried footsteps approached from afar.

Granny Zhang, with a solemn expression, quickly stepped inside.

"Young Master, the Old Madam requests your presence in the front hall."

Zhang Xiaomeng raised an eyebrow slightly, his heart indifferent.

He had absolutely no liking for this grandmother of the Marquis's family, Madam Zheng.

Since he could remember, the old lady had never once looked at him directly.

Because she despised his birth mother, she transferred all her hatred onto him.

Before her birth mother's body was even cold, she repeatedly urged the Marquis of Yongwu to remarry.

After Zhang Ling was born, his stepmother, Lady Liu, entered the household and she even tried to change the position of heir apparent.

If it weren't for the fact that Marquis Yongwu had to consider the face of the court and fear being branded as a heartless and abandoned son, his position as heir apparent would have been forcibly stripped away long ago.

The day before yesterday, Madam Zheng brought Zhang Ling back from Faye Temple and secluded herself to recuperate, ignoring him completely.

This sudden summons is definitely not a good thing.

Zhang Xiaomeng was bored out of his mind, so he got up, stretched, and went to the front hall.

In the main hall, seated upright was Madam Zheng, whose hair was completely white.

The old lady was dressed in plain clothes, her face was cold and stern, and her brows and eyes were full of the rigid and dignified demeanor that had been accumulated over the years. The prayer beads on her fingers kept moving, and the sound was deep and slow, which was very solemn.

The person on the lower left is Marquis Yongwu, and the person on the lower right is Zhang Ling.

The three sat in silence, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

Hearing footsteps enter, three pairs of eyes simultaneously locked onto the doorway.

Marquis Yongwu looked at Zhang Xiaomeng, who was walking slowly towards him, and his feelings were extremely complicated.

The case of Liu Ru could have been suppressed and quietly resolved.

Unfortunately, Zhang Xiaomeng exposed the scandal in public, making the whole city aware of his stepmother's hiring of a hitman to kill her son.

His lifelong maintenance of dignity and the Marquis's reputation were swept away in an instant, making him a laughingstock throughout the capital.

Marquis Yongwu was filled with anger and shame, yet he was helpless against his son.

Zhang Ling, standing to the side, had only deep-seated hatred in his eyes.

The mother's imprisonment and exile were already decided, all because of Zhang Xiaomeng.

He had previously gone to Faye Temple to recognize his father, full of hope, but was exposed by Zen Master Duming as having forged the letter.

He remained completely baffled by the matter until three days ago when Duming met with him privately, at which point he finally understood.

From beginning to end, it was Zhang Xiaomeng who secretly orchestrated things and manipulated him at will.

While filled with boundless hatred, he was also filled with deep fear.

Once Zhang Xiaomeng informs Marquis Yongwu about this, he will be completely finished.

Fortunately, Du Ming secretly helped us.

Today's match is Zhang Ling's chance to turn things around.

"You're all here."

Ignoring the three unfriendly gazes, Zhang Xiaomeng walked into the hall with his hands behind his back and a leisurely gait.

He then didn't bother with formalities, but simply sat down, crossed his legs, and looked languid and casual.

"Why did you call me here?"

Marquis Yongwu's anger surged instantly, and he coldly rebuked, "Look at your behavior! Don't you have any manners at all!"

"Speak your mind, I don't have time to waste with you."

Zhang Xiaomeng casually picked up a pastry from the table, slowly stuffed it into his mouth, and acted extremely nonchalantly.

Zheng paused on her prayer beads, her cold gaze sweeping over you with a hint of disgust. "Indeed, you are just like your deceased mother, crude and uneducated, lacking any of the refinement of a noble young man. I truly don't know what kind of eyes Princess Changning has that would choose such an unruly wretch as you."

Zhang Xiaomeng chewed on a pastry, raised his eyes and retorted calmly, "That's because the princess has good taste, unlike some people who are old and blind and can't judge people well."

"presumptuous!"

Zheng's eyes suddenly sharpened, and the oppressive atmosphere in the hall instantly subsided.

Zhang Xiaomeng didn't care at all, and looked impatient. "Don't put on airs like your grandmother from the Marquis's mansion in front of me. Get to the point."

Zheng forcibly suppressed the anger in her chest, spoke slowly and deliberately, with an undeniable determination.

"You beat a prince in public, which is disobedient and arrogant. If it weren't for the Emperor's leniency, the entire Marquis of Yongwu's mansion would have been implicated by you."

"You are so ill-mannered and reckless that you are no longer fit to be the heir of the Marquis's mansion."

"Tomorrow I will go to the palace to petition His Majesty to revoke your title of Heir Apparent."

This time, Marquis Yongwu did not object.

He's already lost all face, so he's not afraid to lose it again.

The three of them thought Zhang Xiaomeng would disagree, but to their surprise, he slowly swallowed the pastry in his mouth, his expression calm, even with a hint of relief.

"I thought it was some huge deal. I'm tired of being this pathetic prince. Whoever wants him can have him."

Having said that, he got up and prepared to leave.

"stop."

Zheng stopped him in his tracks.

Zhang Xiaomeng turned around, his expression indifferent: "Is there anything else?"

"Now that you have been stripped of your title as heir apparent, you are naturally no longer qualified to marry Princess Changning."

Zheng's gaze was icy as she made the final decision.

"Your engagement will be taken by Ling'er. From now on, Ling'er will be the heir of the Marquis's mansion and the imperial consort."

The atmosphere in the hall froze instantly.

Zhang Ling suppressed his inner elation, waiting for Zhang Xiaomeng to lose his temper and utter wild words, so that he could take advantage of the situation to completely plunge him into the abyss, never to rise again.

But the next second, the expected scene completely fell through.

Zhang Xiaomeng was stunned at first, then his eyes lit up with genuine joy, and he couldn't help but smile with a sincere smile.

"That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Grandmother! You're such a kind person."

Once the marriage contract falls to Zhang Ling, Zhao Changning will have no reason to keep an eye on him, and no one will be able to stop him from committing suicide.

Those three self-important fools actually did me a huge favor.

Zheng stood frozen in place, forgetting to fiddle with the prayer beads in her hand. All the words she had prepared in her heart remained stuck in her throat, with nowhere to be used.

Marquis Yongwu's pupils contracted slightly, his face filled with astonishment.

What trick is he up to now?

Zhang Ling was completely dumbfounded.

He rehearsed several times last night, preparing everything from how to respond to Zhang Xiaomeng's rage, to his counterattacks and backup plans, eagerly awaiting a dramatic confrontation.

But the other party was not angry, resentful, or upset at all. Instead, they were overjoyed and looked extremely grateful, which completely disrupted the rhythm of the conversation.

Zhang Xiaomeng looked at Zhang Ling, who was stunned, and slowly walked forward.

The moment he raised his hand, Zhang Ling's body stiffened instinctively, and he subconsciously raised his hand to protect his face, his shoulders tense and trembling.

It was clearly a stress response from being beaten so badly.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaomeng chuckled, gently patted his shoulder, and encouraged him sincerely:

"Second brother, don't be afraid, I won't hit you. The glory of the Marquis's mansion will depend on you from now on. I have high hopes for you, so keep it up."

Zhang Ling blinked blankly, her mind completely empty.

Not right.

Something's really wrong!

How could a normal person react like this when they are deposed as heir apparent, have their engagement stolen, and have their life's glory taken away?

Zhang Ling was at a loss, hesitating whether or not to proceed with the plan.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaomeng suddenly turned to look at Zheng Shi, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared.

"You can't do it this way."